Match-making, Villains and a Beanie Bear
by Feliciradeya
Summary: A woman and a Cats actor are thrown together to solve a mystery. Involves Macavity and Starlight Express´ C.B. (with some kinky-style weirdness.)


Warning - weird fic ahead 

Cassidy was having more fun than she'd had for a long time. She was on a well-deserved holiday with friends and enjoyed lazing about all day, only having to decide whether she felt like swimming, or if she'd rather go shopping. She and one of her best friends, Luke, his wife, Maria, and his friend from work, Cay, were spending a week by the sea. Luke played Macavity in _Cats_ and his friend was one of his two understudies, so the other one had the role of the sexy, red cat all to himself for the week. The only thing that stopped it from being perfect was Cay. It was obvious that Luke had brought him along to set him up with Cassidy, but while she thought he was a friendly bloke, good-looking and with the wicked sense of humour she loved in a man, there was something unsettling about the look in his eyes sometimes. She didn't feel that she could trust him. He had taken a shine to her, but she resisted his advances.

On Saturday she went for a walk along the sea-front. While walking she looked around at the stalls selling ice-creams, buckets and spades, and other toys. One in particular caught her eye. It was devoted to TY Beanie Babies and Bears and had them not only piled up, but also hanging from hooks under the roof. She'd been looking for the Buckingham Bear for a year, but all the toy shops she'd searched through had only had a handful of Beanies each: nowhere near enough to include such a rare Bear.

She approached the stall and told the woman in charge what she was looking for. She was delighted when the woman unhooked a burgundy-coloured Bear and handed it to her. She looked it over for a minute, admiring it. Then she glanced at the price tag. 80. 80 pence? Surely it couldn't be so cheap?

"How much is it?" She asked the woman.

"Eighty pounds."

"Eighty pounds?!" She gasped, handing the Bear back. "I thought it was five."

"It was last year. A few weeks ago it was sixty, then seventy, and now it's gone up again."

"Thanks anyway." She turned to leave.

"I'll cover it," said a voice.

"What?" She turned back to see a middle-aged man standing on the other side of the stall. She hadn't noticed him before.

"I said I'll cover it."

"You can't do that."

"Yes, I can, and I want to. Don't worry about it."

"But...we don't know each other."

He laughed. "Then I guess I'll be an anonymous benefactor. It's really no big deal."

"Well...all right then. Thank you."

So the man paid for the Bear and the stall owner put it in a bag. Cassidy turned to say goodbye to the man, but he'd gone. She looked up and down the road, but she couldn't see him. She made her way back to the hotel.

~

That evening, when she, Luke, Maria and Cay were having dinner in the hotel's restaurant, she told them what had happened.

"So some random bloke you've never met paid for an eighty-pound Beanie Bear?" asked Cay.

"Yes."

"And the Buckingham one at that. Aren't you lucky," he said in a way that made Cassidy feel as if she'd done something wrong. Usually he combined sarcasm with cheekiness, and it never sounded cruel.

The others carried on talking.

~

The next morning she awoke early and went down to the pool for a swim before breakfast. She swam a few lengths and then dove underwater to continue. She'd been at it for a few minutes when she saw a man climb into the pool at the deep end and swim towards her, also underwater, as if he were a shark. She recognised his reddish-brown hair, not to mention his bright red swimming trunks, and moved out of the way before he could grab her. She reached the edge of the pool and rose above the surface, grinning as he came up for air. He shook his head, sending water flying from his hair, and looked around. Spotting her, he made his way towards her again, and this time she stayed where she was.

"Trying to escape?" Asked Cay.

"Why? Is there something dangerous in the water?"

"Might be."

She couldn't stop herself smiling. He was being his usual cheeky and flirty self, showing none of the serious sarcasm of the night before. No matter how little she wanted to encourage them, men like him always made her laugh. And then there were the rock-solid, yet not-too-obvious, dancers' muscles that set her heartbeat off on a sprint.

"Race you to the other end?"

She rolled her eyes. How old was he?

"Okay. You're on." And she shot off before he could turn to face the right way.

~

When she won for the third time in a row he gave up flirting and just looked annoyed. She realised she was turning into a prune so she left him to sulk and went back to her room to get ready for breakfast. She'd just come out of the shower when she noticed it, or to be precise: the lack of it. She looked under the bed, in the wardrobe and in the chest-of-drawers. Then she looked in her bags to make sure she hadn't put it away for safe-keeping and forgotten about it. When she was sure she'd looked everywhere, she got dressed and went downstairs to find Luke. He was nowhere to be found either.

"Looking for someone?" Came a familiar voice.

She turned to face Cay. "Yes. I can't find Luke. Have you seen him?"

"No, I haven't. Maybe he and Maria wanted some time alone?"

"Maybe," she said, and thought, 'Which conveniently leaves me with you.'

"What's the matter? You look worried."

"I can't find my Beanie Bear."

He raised his eyebrows. "Can't find it?"

"No. I've looked everywhere. It looks as if someone's taken it."

"Oh dear. One of the maids perhaps?"

"Perhaps, but I bought it yesterday afternoon, and they'd already been in when I got back, and they haven't been in yet today."

"You never know when they might slip in while you're out. You should tell one of the staff."

"I suppose, but I want to be sure before I go accusing anyone."

"All right, but who else could it be?"

"Well, I hate to say it, but we do all share a bathroom. I forgot to lock the door on my side before I went swimming. I just wanted to tell Luke and make sure he hadn't borrowed it or something."

"Why would anyone borrow a Beanie Bear?"

"I don't know, but I want to check. I don't suppose you'd have any reason to borrow it?"

He said frostily, "No, I wouldn't. And I don't have any other reason to go snooping round your room either."

"All right," she said, softening her voice, "I just need to check."

"Well, you've checked with me. Now we need to find Luke."

"Typical, isn't it? Macavity's not there."

"That's it!"

"What?"

"The song. "When you reach the scene of crime, Macavity's not there."

"You think Luke stole my Bear?"

"It looks like someone did and, as you said, the maids haven't been in your room while you've had it, though they're still an option, and I know I haven't been in there. I was with you all of yesterday evening and in the pool this morning, but we haven't seen Luke and Maria since..."

"Just after dinner last night. It really can't be him, though: he's one of my best friends."

"You never know, but like you said, maybe he just borrowed it."

"Or maybe it's not him at all. It really might have been a maid."

"Maybe, but it's still worth looking into."

"And how do we do that when we can't find him?"

"With the song, of course."

"Oh, of course." She rolled her eyes. "How's the song going to help?"

"Let's think: 'Macavity's a mystery cat, He's called the Hidden Paw', and we can't find him, 'for he's the master criminal who can defy the Law. He's the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squad's despair: For when they reach the scene of crime Macavity's not there!' and he isn't here. We haven't told the police yet, though, and he's not a master criminal, as far as we know, so that part doesn't work."

She frowned and said, "Are you sure this is going to help?"

"Humour me. And let me think of the rest of the song. '...there's no one like Macavity, He's broken every human law, he breaks the law of gravity.' Okay, he doesn't do that either."

"Which means this isn't going to help."

"Hang on! Let me finish."

"You're insane, but carry on. I'm sure we'll get there eventually."

He glanced down at her and raised an eyebrow. "Thank you. 'His powers of levitation would make a fakir stare...You may seek him in the basement, you may look up in the air...' Well, he can't levitate, but we could try looking in the basement. There are a few shops and things down there."

"Okay, " she said, pointing in the direction of the lifts, "lead on, Sherlock."

He scowled. "Stop taking the piss. This could work."

"Whatever you say."

~

"Okay," he said once they were down there, "he's not in the basement."

"Which is what the song says, you twit."

"Hey, I'm just making sure! The next bit describes how he looks, but I don't think that describes Luke very well. After that it goes: 'And when you think he's half asleep, he's always wide awake!' Hmm." He frowned, as if puzzled.

"That sounds nothing like him. When he looks asleep he is asleep." Cassidy folded her arms and looked at the ceiling, silently asking the heavens why she'd got stuck with this pratt. "But keep going."

"'... he's a fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity. You may meet him in a by-street, you may see him in the square...' He's not in feline shape, except onstage, so that could work. We could go and see if he's outside."

"Okay," she sighed.

"Trust me," he said, leading the way back to the lifts and outside. They walked up the road and looked down each side-street along the way.

"Cay," she said when they'd walked all the way round the block the hotel was on and back to the entrance again, "he's not here."

"There are lots of streets, though. He could be out here somewhere."

"The song says: 'you may meet him in a by-street'. We haven't met him, have we?"

He shrugged. "We should keep trying, then."

"We can't go looking over the whole town, you moron! If he is out here, then he'll be just around the corner ahead of us and back in the hotel by the time we finish!"

"Okay," he snapped, "We'll give up on that one, then."

"Good." She folded her arms again. "Next verse."

"'He's outwardly respectable. I know he cheats at cards. And his footprints are not found in any files of Scotland Yard's...' And then they go on about loads of different crimes, lots of them about stealing things, but he's never there."

"Probably because he's never done anything like that, and he doesn't cheat at cards. I've played cards with him and I win half the time."

"Maybe he's done stuff that no-one knows about."

"Oh, just get on with it."

"'...There never was a Cat of such deceitfulness and suavity. He always has an alibi, and one or two to spare: Whatever time the deed took place, Macavity wasn't there!' Granted, he's never been deceitful before, but there's a first time for everything. 'And they say that all the Cats whose wicked deeds are widely known...Are nothing more than agents for the Cat who all the time Just controls the operations: The Napoleon of Crime!' Never know, he might be a criminal mastermind in his spare time."

Cassidy screeched, "In his spare time?!" An elderly couple gazed at her in astonishment as they walked by. She lowered her voice and hissed, "Cay, this isn't helping in the slightest! Why are we still talking about this bloody song? Anyone would think you were trying to change the subject! So he might have done something bad once in his life that we don't know about, and he's in feline shape in the show. Great. Any more pearls of wisdom from the almighty song?"

"Er... No."

"Thank goodness!" She threw her hands up in relief.

"But there is an extra verse in the poem."

"Oh, for heaven's sake! I'm gonna slap you in a minute. Why do I get the feeling I should just go and check my room again, see if I can find Luke and then report it to the receptionist if I still can't find it?"

"I don't know," he said, looking worried, no doubt at the thought of being slapped, "but let me finish first."

"This had better be good, Mr. Bryant."

"Just listen," he pleaded, glad there weren't many other people about. "'And when the Foreign Office find a Treaty's gone astray, Or the Admiralty lose some plans and drawings by the way, There may be a scrap of paper in the hall or on the stair...but...he's a mile away, You'll be sure to find him resting, or a-licking of his thumbs, Or engaged in doing complicated long division sums.' Well, we're missing a Bear, not papers, and he could be resting, but I doubt he'll be doing long division."

"Wonderful. That really helped, Cay."

He held his hands up in defeat. "I tried."

She rolled her eyes again and his frown returned.

"Will you stop doing that? It's not nice."

She started to do it again, but stopped herself. Then she remembered what she'd said about him changing the subject, and it hit her.

"Cay, do you remember the caboose in Starlight Express?"

"The what?"

"He was the villain in the original version." She crossed her arms once again and fixed him with a cold stare. "Do you want me to tell you about his song?"

Cay tried to escape her gaze, but failed miserably. "Er... Okay."

"Good," she said, continuing to look almost through him. "I won't go into details, but it's all about how he causes train crashes and steals money. At least that's what I got out of it. But the interesting part is: 'There each time at the scene of the crime, The red caboose!' She raised her eyebrows at him.

"So?" He said.

"So? You're here and I was in the pool for at least a quarter of an hour before you this morning, so you had plenty of time to slip into my room after I'd gone."

"What's it got to do with me? I told you I haven't been in your room. What would I want with a Beanie Bear?"

"I don't know, but your initials are C.B., just like the caboose."

"Really? How interesting."

"Yes, isn't it?" Her eyes flashed. "Tell me, Cay Bryant, where's my Beanie Bear?"

"I told you I don't know!" It was his turn to receive a startled look from a passer-by.

"I hope you remember Les Miz, then, because I think it's time for me to do my Gavroche impression: 'liar!'"

"Cass!" He stared at her, lost for words at last.

"Well? Did you take my Beanie Bear? And don't bother lying. You've wasted enough time already and trying to pin the blame on Luke was not a good idea."

"You don't know for sure it wasn't him!"

"Yeah, Cay, I'm sure the man I've known and trusted for years has stolen my Beanie Bear. I think more likely it's you, the creep I've known and had to put up with for all of one week."

"I'm not a creep!"

"Just tell me if you took it!"

He looked away from her and caught sight of a young woman and her children who glanced curiously at him and Cassidy as they walked past. He blushed and went silent for a moment, then frowned again as if two armies were warring in his head. His face softened at last and there was no longer any trace of defensiveness. In a small voice he said, "Okay."

"Okay, what?"

He stared at the ground. "I-I took it."

"Are you sure?" She said, trying to look into his downcast eyes. "You're not just saying that to shut me up? You might be right. Maybe you're not a creep."

"Yeah, I'm sure," he said, still refusing to meet her eyes.

He looked so dejected that she began to feel sorry for him, until she remembered that not only had the Bear been expensive, but that someone she didn't know had paid for it out of pure generosity.

"Would you mind telling me why?"

"I've been looking for one of those for ages."

"So had I."

"My niece really wants one."

"Oh."

"I know that doesn't make taking it any better."

"No," she sighed. "It doesn't."

"I'm sorry, I just... I don't know."

"You were an idiot."

He looked up at her and was surprised to find her eyes, though angry, were still somewhat kind. Disappointed too.

"Yeah."

"And you lied." The disappointment increased and he looked away.

"Yeah."

"And you led me on a wild-goose-chase while you tried to blame Luke." He could hear the anger replace the kindness before he faced her again.

"Er... Yeah."

"Then I think you'd better go and give it back to me before I give you a red caboose!" She yelled, then reached out and slapped his backside.

"What?!" He jumped and moved away from her. "I mean, okay." He opened the hotel door and walked towards the lift while she followed.

~

Cay shifted uncomfortably on the bed and finally stood up. Cassidy stayed where she'd been sitting next to him and chuckled. He glared at her with damp, red eyes and she stifled her giggles.

"I'm sorry, but you must admit it's funny."

"It is?"

"Of course it is!"

"You don't have to keep on about it."

She straightened her face. "All right. I won't mention it again."

"Thank you." He leaned back against the chest-of-drawers and winced, staring at the carpet.

She giggled again, quieter this time. She'd let him keep the Bear. His niece would enjoy it more than she would. She'd been furious, though, and hadn't wanted to let him off that easily, so she'd started to take her red-caboose threat seriously. It was either that or the police, she'd told him. She wasn't sure the police needed to be told about the theft of a Beanie Bear, especially since it had been returned, but in his panic he hadn't thought of that and had agreed to it. She'd been surprised to find that she quite enjoyed it. It was a shame he hadn't.

She glanced over at him. It was their last night away together, but they lived near each other in London. Even after what he'd done she still liked him, so she thought that if he really liked her she'd give him a chance and see if he could keep from being dishonest again, with a helping hand if need be. He looked up at her and his eyes were full of promise. Maybe he wasn't such a creep after all.


End file.
